


Thieves

by Harvestqueen



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-08-18 14:45:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8165581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harvestqueen/pseuds/Harvestqueen
Summary: These two Nohrian thieves knew each other. In a past life at least.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Probably none of this will follow cannon for either of these characters but oh well! I saw a drawing of younger looking Shura and this is all I could think about... Had to write about my thief husband again. And this time with the added fun of Niles! Hope you enjoy, and reviews are always welcome.

I see him when they walked him in through the castle grounds, still having chains around his wrists. He’s older, but I’m sure it’s him. Black and white hair just like in the past. They lead him to the prison building, the first prisoner we’ve had in a long time. Mercy hasn’t been a thing in Nohr since Garon has given Hans run of the prisoners. Lady Corrin probably saved him.

An explosion from Odin makes me jump up. “Woah! Watch where you’re shooting.”

He looks at me. “My apologies! Sometimes Odin Dark can’t contain his power!” He says in the dramatic fashion that Odin is known for. I just smirk at my ally and walk over.

“I bet this isn’t the only place Odin Dark can’t contain his power,” I say and he glances at me.

“I- uh… What are you talking about Niles?”

I chuckle. It’s almost too easy to mess with Odin sometimes. I watch as the royal family leaves the prison compound. “You’re not on guard duty tonight anywhere, right?”

“No, I have the night off,” he says, dropping the theatrics for once. He still does the strange hand gestures when he casts another spell, this one hitting on target.

“Take my watch tonight and I’ll take the next two from you,” I offer and he raises an eyebrow.

“Excellent. It is a deal my friend.”

“Great. You keep up that practicing,” I say and pat his back, walking towards the prison. Silas is standing guard outside, so I flash him a smile. “Hey, I can guard here tonight.”

He glances at me. “It’s alright, Lady Corrin told me to guard here. We only have one prisoner; I can handle it.”

“Well, Lord Leo told me to guard the prisoner,” I lie as easily as I tell the truth. Hopefully it won’t get back to Leo, not like he’d care. I’ve done way worse claiming that he told me to do it. 

Silas is smart not to trust me though. He just watches me. “I don’t mind guarding, really.”

“Just tell Lady Corrin that I have this under control. You can go back to guarding her.” I shrug and he still looks skeptical. “I’m a royal retainer! What kind of trouble could I possibly get into?”

“If Lord Leo sent you then fine. I’ll go find Lady Corrin,” he says and walks away. I wait for him to be enough of a distance away before I slip inside.

The prison compound doesn’t seem so large when it’s empty. I’ve seen it full of people before. I walk through, checking each cell. “Shura!” I sing out, but he doesn’t respond. Completely typical. I walk through to the very last cell when I see him, sitting on the rock hard ground, leaning against the wall. “Hello Shura.”

He lazily looks over at me but doesn’t respond. God he looks older. I can see it around his eyes especially. Still looks strong though, not as big as I remember. Probably because I was smaller. 

“What are you doing in here?” I ask, seeing as he isn’t going to talk. “I heard they decided not to kill you.” 

“Locking me up for the night as a safety precaution,” he says, his voice still deep and gruff. 

“That’s a good idea. Take the most famous outlaw in Nohr, don’t kill him, and then lock him up. That won’t get him pissed at you.”

“I’m just grateful they’re sparing my life.”

“Well that’s no fun.” I grin and then sit down across from his cell. “Do you remember me?”

He looks over and doesn’t say anything.

“Oh come on! I know you’re old but you can’t be senile yet! I’m not as famous as the great Shura, but you have to remember me.” I laugh.

“You had shorter hair,” he says, “And two eyes… Plus you were a shrimp back then.” This time it’s his turn to smirk. “But I recognise that bullshit you pulled with the guard. Didn’t think he’d be dumb enough to believe you’re a royal retainer.”

“Well, that part wasn’t bullshit.” I admit with a shrug. “Things have changed old man.”

“You used to worship this old man.”

“Well, as I said, things change.”

“Clearly they do,” he says. We both stay quiet for a moment. “Glad you got out of all that shit.”

“It’s hard to do.” I watch him with my one good eye as he stares at the wall ahead of him. Some things about him haven’t changed apparently. 

*~*

He stared off into space while everyone around him celebrated, stumbling around like drunken morons. I could hardly believe my eyes that it was actually him. Shura, the best thief in all of Nohr. It was rumored he had even kidnapped a princess, although I didn’t know how much of that was just my friends making up stories about him. 

One of the older men pushed past me and I’m nearly knocked to the ground. I scrambled to my feet and glared at the guy who knocked me over, then took in a deep breath and walked forward to Shura.

Once I sat beside him his gaze shifted over to me. He didn’t look as intimidating as some of the others in the bar, but I was sure it was him. The hair gave him away. “Who brought the kid in here?” He asked to no one in particular. I frown.

“I’m not a kid, I’m fourteen,” I said and he laughed.

“Whoops, sorry sir,” he said sarcastically with a smirk. “What do you want kid?”

“I’m not-“ I started to repeat myself and then just shook my head. “I want to come travel with your group.”

“I don’t have a group.”

“Aren’t all these people your group?” I asked, hearing they had just pulled off a big heist.

He shrugged. “They were, and now they aren’t. I travel alone,” he said and finished his ale.

“Well, you should travel with me.” I smiled and he just laughed again.

“And why would I do that?”

“Well, you’re the best thief in all of Nohr, and I suppose I’m the second best.”

“What makes you say that?” 

“I’ve pickpocketed from every guy in here. A gold each. You can count them,” I said and took out a small bag, filled with gold pieces.

He looked at the bag. “You stole from drunk thieves, congratulations.”

“Every guy in here,” I said, “That means you too.”

He paused and then glared at me as I put the bag back in my pocket. “You little…” He didn’t finish the sentence, just shook his head. “Go home. Don’t you have parents to look after you?”

“Nope.”

“That’s a shit deal kid, but it doesn’t mean I have to look after you.”

“But-“

“Look kid, take my advice. Leave this bar, use that gold to get yourself a place to sleep, and then tomorrow get up and stop stealing. Shine shoes, become a servant. Something other than this. You don’t want to go down this road, you don’t want to be a thief.”

I sighed. “You’re a thief.”

“You’re not the only one who got a shit deal in life,” he said and paused, then stood. “Get out of here.”

“No,” I said, “I have nowhere else to go, take me with you!”

“Kid, just leave now! This place is about to get raided.”

“How do you…” I paused and then shook my head. “No, come on!”

He looked at the door, focusing for a moment and then looking back at me. “Come on,” he growled and grabbed my wrist. He pulled me through the crowds of people. He knocked over some guys but didn’t seem to care, going through the back door and into a dark ally.

The stones were damp and the sun had set. He let go of my wrist and I finally felt the grip he had, it hurt a little bit but I didn’t complain. He put up his green hood and then looked at me. “If anyone asks you’re my son, and I am not Shura, got it?” He asked and I nodded. “Good, now come on. Just follow me.”

We ran through the city that I can’t even remember the name of. Behind us I could hear commotion in the bar, and it only made me look at the taller man differently. I wasn’t sure how he knew that the raid was coming, and now wasn’t the time to ask. I kept my head down and followed him as he walked quickly through the streets, walking past all different kinds of people, including some Nohrian guards. They looked at us strangely but Shura kept his head down, putting his arm over me almost protectively. Probably to keep up the appearance that we were in fact father and son. 

Once we were far enough away from the city he sighed. “Come on, we’ll walk a few hours and then set up camp.”

“How’d you know that raid was going to happen?” I asked.

He smirked and looked up at the sky. “Rule number one of traveling with me kid, always be aware of your surroundings.”

*~*

I look over at Shura in his cell, still staring off into space. I just stay quiet and observe him.

It is what he taught me to do after all.


	2. Chapter 2

“Niles,” Leo looks at me the next morning when I go to train. “Please tell me why you told Silas that I ordered you to stand guard in the prison? I mean, unless I got amnesia and forgot, I never gave that order.”

I smile. “Maybe you did get amnesia. Good excuse lord Leo, doing all the work for me.”

“Niles…” He sighs. Every time he talks to me his sighs seem to get even longer. I’m almost catching up to Odin. “Does this have something to do with Shura, the prisoner we had yesterday?”

“He is a little old for me… But hell, who am I kidding? I can’t resist the silver fox type.” I grin. 

Leo glares. “Is this something I have to worry about Niles?” He asks seriously.

For once, I answer seriously and shake my head. “No Lord Leo.” I say and then smile innocently. “Call it curiosity. Every outlaw who has ever set foot in Nohr knows the name Shura. He made quite a name for never getting caught, we’ve all heard the legends. It was just curiosity though. The days of thieving are well behind me, but some aspects still linger. No need to worry.”

He nods. “Good. Next time just tell me, and I will give an order to put you on that duty.”

“Why would I waste your time when you could be doing so many better things… So many better people…” I wink and he just groans and walks away. I laugh. He’s almost as easy to mess with as Odin. 

I set up a target and then go to get my bow and arrows. I get in position and pick out my arrow, inspecting it carefully to make sure that it’s straight. I get in position and take in a deep breath. Before I can let go an arrow flies right past my ear, I can hear it. It hits the target nearly dead on.

I whirl around to see Shura smirking behind me. “You always were too slow on the draw.”

I raise an eyebrow. “When did you get out? When did you get here?”

“This morning after you left. It seems Lady Corrin truly does trust me.” He walks over. “I got here just now. Saw you getting ready to practice.”

“Alright.” I pick up my arrow again. “It’s not about being fast; it’s about doing it right. Treat your arrow like you’d treat a lady and she’ll reward you.” I let my arrow go and hit the center right beside his. 

“I don’t tend to use my ladies as weapons.” He says and lifts his bow, shooting again. Near miss of the center again.

“It’s a metaphor old man.”

“It’s a shitty metaphor, kid.”

I laugh. “I’m not a kid. And this time I can say it without lying.”

He chuckles. “You did always insist you weren’t a child. As if it were a bad thing.”

“It was a bad thing back then. You wouldn’t have taken me in if I was useless,” I say and he simply shrugs at the statement. He raises his bow again, and lets another arrow fly.

*~*

“Niles would you just shoot the damn arrow already?”

I lowered my bow and frowned, looking at Shura. He looked terribly bored as he leaned against one of the trees in the forest, looking ahead at the tree with the red target painted on it. If it had been him shooting, he would have hit the bullseye five times already. Instead it was me, so there was only one arrow in the dirt below the tree, threatening the roots in its own pathetic way.

“I can’t shoot if you break my focus!” I snapped and raised the bow again. I kept telling myself to focus, clear my mind and relax my body.

“If this were an actual heist, you’d be dead ten times over,” he said matter-of-factly.

I huffed. “I thought we were thieves. You know, go in all stealth like, steal everything and then leave before anyone notices we were even there?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Then why am I learning how to shoot?”

“Not everything always goes according to plan.” He walked over to me. “How did no one ever teach you how to do this before?”

“Everyone who could’ve taught me died. Sorry for not learning for your convenience,” I muttered.

“Look kid, you wanted to come with me. And you’re not coming with me until you know how to defend yourself.” He took the bow and arrow from my hands. “These are life skills I’m teaching you. So be grateful.” He got into position and only seconds after he let the arrow fly from his hands. It hit the tree dead on. “You’re an outlaw. You’re fourteen. Even if you do try stay out of trouble you’ll end up in it. So learn how to shoot, and then when you get in trouble you’ll be alright.”

I nodded and took back the bow, taking out another arrow. “Have you killed anyone before?”

“We’ve all had to kill people kid.”

“What does it feel like?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Usually the people I kill are trying to kill me, so I don’t have much time to stop and think about it. It hurts I guess… Physically. Takes a lot of strength to shoot an arrow with enough force to kill someone.”

I smirked and then let the arrow go. It didn’t hit as perfectly as his, but at least this time I hit the tree.

“There you go. You’ll get there in no time,” he said. It almost sounded encouraging. “Now come get some food. Early morning tomorrow if we’re going to get to Cheve.”

I nodded and followed him back to our small campsite. There’s nothing really there, a small ring of rocks for a fire pit, already having a roaring fire with a rabbit cooking over it, courtesy of Shura, and some of our supplies. Neither of us carried a tent, or bedrolls. It would only slow us down. We slept under the stars, kept warm by only the fire. It could get very cold at night. 

“What’s in Cheve?” I asked and sat on one side of the fire. Shura removed the rabbit from over the flames and placed it on a stone in front of him to carve.

“It’s not about what’s in Cheve, it’s what’s around it,” he said. “There are some inns that aren’t so choosy about who they let stay. Finally sleep in a bed for the night. Then the city is big, we can get a group, do some “jobs”, then be on our way.”

I looked at him. “Why do you only stay in groups for a few days? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just travel with one?”

He shook his head. “Nope. What you need to know if you’re going to be a thief is people will betray you if you give them too much trust. Partners will sell you out, groups will leave you behind. You just have to leave first.”

“Will you betray me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I have honor,” he said, “Other thieves don’t.” He looked at me and then passed me some rabbit meat. “You shouldn’t either. Honor will get you killed.”

“Then why do you have honor?” I asked and then chewed at the meat. “I mean, if you know it could get you killed.”

“It’s how I was raised.” He shrugged.

“You’ve never talked much about that…” My chewing slowed and I looked at him as he stared at the fire, not eating. “Did you have a family?” I asked more out of curiosity to see if he’d answer. 

But, as expected, he just kept staring at the fire. “Eat up kid, then get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

*~*

I go to the target to collect the arrows, all hitting the center ring. I look back at Shura with a smirk. “Old age hasn’t made you rusty.”

“And losing an eye hasn’t changed you,” he says and then takes his arrows. “What happened there anyway?”

I grin. “Now, what fun would it be if I told you everything your first day here?” I tease. “Keep practicing old man. Hit enough bullseyes and I might just tell you.”

He rolls his eyes and lifts his bow, shooting another arrow. Shura always hit his target. He looks a lot different now, but I guess some things don’t change.


	3. Chapter 3

“I thought I was supposed to be keeping watch with some guy named Odin.”

I look up from my post and smile when Shura walks over. The thought of him getting to know Odin is enough to make me laugh, knowing there’s no way Shura would be able to handle his theatrics. “They trust you enough to let you guard, old man?”

“I think they figured two thieves can’t be much more trouble than one,” he says and takes his place beside me. “Why are you here?”

“Odin is my partner,” I say, “I traded shifts with him.”

“Hm.” He smirks. “So you finally decided you liked boys better than girls?”

“What?” I pause and then laugh. “No not like that. Oh god.” I laugh harder at just the thought of being with Odin. “He’s my partner for guarding lord Leo. We work together… I’m still having that conflict over which is better.” I grin. 

“Oh.” He laughs. “Going to tell me what happened with your eye?”

I shrug and look out over the field surrounding the castle. In the dead of night it’s so quiet, watch can get boring. “Got into a fight with some guy.”

“And you lost?”

“You didn’t see the other guy.”

He grins. “Good.”

He looks out onto the field too. It’s funny, years ago when we traveled together both of us avoided royalty like the plague. And now we had to defend them.

~*~

We had been in Cheve for about a week, staying in an inn just out of the city. We hadn’t done any big heists yet, but I was anxious to get one done. Shura just kept telling me that as soon as we did a big one we would have to leave to avoid getting caught, so we should take advantage of the shelter we had. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, or if he was just saying that because he couldn’t find a group of thieves to work with. There were plenty in the inn, obvious to anyone who saw them. Sometimes Shura would go off and talk to one, but then come back and say we couldn’t go with them. It was starting to get frustrating.

We sat in the main floor of the inn at one of the tables, him buying some food but neither of us eating much. He watched the other people as they walked by and I just watched him. He looked so focused. It drove me crazy.

“Just pick some,” I finally said and he looked at me. “A thief is a thief. They’re all the same. Pick a few, we’ll make a group, do a job, then get out of here.”

His lack of reaction annoyed me more than anything else. “Why are you so anxious to get out of here kid?”

“I feel like we’re not doing anything,” I said. “We just stay in one place, barely stealing anything. Aren’t you supposed to be some big time thief?”

“I am a big time thief, that’s why I’m the one making the decisions and not you.” He looked at me finally. “A thief is a thief? Have you even really talked to any outlaws? You know, aside from me and your little pickpocket friends back home?”

I stayed quiet and he just smirked. “Thought so. Thieves aren’t just thieves when you get to my levels. They’re murderers, rapists, all kinds of horrible people.”

“So you’ve never worked with bad people?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I never said that. I have plenty of times.”

“Then why won’t you now?”

He paused and looked back out at everyone else. I thought he’d ignore my question like he had done so many times before, but I think he was just thinking about whether he should tell me or not. “I have you to look after, Niles.”

I wasn’t sure how to react. Usually Shura just got angry with me or told me to shut up. Never acted like he cared at all. “Well… I’m not a kid, and I’m not yours to take care of.”

“You are a kid. You’re fourteen-“

“Fifteen.”

“You said you were fourteen.”

“My birthday was two days ago,” I admitted and he nodded.

“Fine. You’re fifteen, which means I’m going to take care of you,” he said. “And if anyone asks, you are mine to take care of. I don’t care what you tell people about us, how we’re related, but they have to know you’re mine. My son, my brother, my friend, whatever. If any of these freaks try to mess with you, they’ll think twice if they know you’re mine.”

I was about to argue but then just shut my mouth and nodded. The last thing Shura needed was me talking back to him when he was just trying to be a good guy for once. He took me in when I had no one else, and god knows he didn’t have to do it. He didn’t want to do it. I probably wouldn’t have taken me in in his position. “Thanks Shura.”

He nodded and then sat back. “Why didn’t you bring up your birthday?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Never did anything for my birthdays before.”

“Yeah, me either,” he laughed. “Always hated that crap. But you’re a year away from becoming a man now.”

I laughed. “You’ll finally stop calling me kid then?”

“Keep dreaming kid.” He smirked and I groaned.

“Whatever old man,” I said and he raised an eyebrow, generally ignoring it. “I thought eighteen was when you became a man anyway.”

“Nope, where I come from it’s sixteen,” he said. “Make you celebrate it.”

“Hm, well maybe when I’m finally a man I can get a girl,” I said and sat back myself. There were tons of girls in Cheve but Shura never let me talk to any of them. He’d just drag me along somewhere else.

“Well, girls love outlaws.”

“Is that why you have so many girls wanting you?” I asked jokingly and he laughed.

“I have a kid with me. Girls want nothing to do with that,” he said, but I wasn’t sure how truthful he was being. He was right about outlaws being popular, I saw that when local girls would come to the inn and try talk to Shura, some outright flirting. He’d talk to them sometimes, but other than that show no interest. He’d never go away with them. I wasn’t sure if it was because he really wasn’t interested, or if he just didn’t want to leave me alone.

“Wait here kid,” he said and stood up, walking over to the man. When he left I reached over and picked up his untouched glass of ale, taking a sip. God it tasted bitter. I put it back and then just watched him with the other man. The man looked at me and then Shura got a serious look on his face and said something I couldn’t hear. They talked a little longer before Shura nodded and walked back over to me, sitting back at the table.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“We have a group to work with tomorrow,” he said. “Recognized the guy, we had done work together in the past. Pack up your stuff tonight, we’ll leave pretty quickly after the job.” He said as if I had much to pack.

“You have a plan already?” 

He nodded. “Thieves always have a plan. There’s one place in Cheve we need to go… It’ll give us enough to last a little while.”

“Okay,” I said as Shura took a drink from his ale. “What did he say when he looked at me?”

He stayed quiet for a moment then just shrugged. “Asking who you are is all.”

Something about the way he said it made it obvious that he was lying. I looked back over at the other man with a frown, and then back at Shura. He was still relaxed. He said he would protect me, he wasn’t going to bring me around really awful people. I still didn’t think I needed the protection, but I trusted him anyway. I was sure he had a reason to lie.

*~*

“How many freaks did you protect me from when we traveled together?” I look at Shura and he looks back at me. He stays quiet so I look back over the field. “There was one in Cheve. You got protective but never told me why.”

“That guy was fine,” he says, and this time he isn’t lying. “Thief through and through but in terms of people we had to talk to he hadn’t done anything too bad.”

“Then why get protective?”

“He thought I was using you. It reminded me how vulnerable you were.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You using me?” I ask and he stays quiet. “I wasn’t that young. Wasn’t that vulnerable.”

“It’s not about age. You had no one else, you never had anyone else.” He says quietly and then stares off into the night. “You were mine to protect, and I knew it.”

I sigh and then look back at the emptiness in front of us. The darkness is as overwhelming as the silence. But I don’t know what to say to him, so I let the silence take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man these two are fun to write... Anyway, reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading so far!


	4. Chapter 4

Lord Leo seems more frustrated when I come into train the next day. He sends Odin away to train somewhere else and looks at me when I set up my target. “Did you lie to me Niles?”

I raise an eyebrow. “No?”

“You said your thing with Shura was just curiosity,” he says and I keep my mouth shut. No purpose revealing information before he makes his point. “You two seem to be closer than just curiosity.”

“I didn’t lie when I said it was nothing you had to worry about,” I admit. For once I am being honest. I gave up the thief life and pledged my loyalty to Lord Leo years ago. Shura seemed to be doing the same for Lady Corrin. “I may have been…. Not entirely truthful. But it wasn’t due to malicious intent I assure you M’lord.” 

“Then tell me the truth now Niles,” he says and I sigh. “You know I trust you, you have earned that. Shura… He hasn’t.”

I raise my bow and then shoot an arrow, then just shake my head. “We knew each other in the past. Traveled together for awhile. I was young, he took care of me. Neither of us are planning anything.”

He frowns as I prepare another arrow. “You never told me about him before.”

“It’s a sore subject.”

“You two seem to be close now.”

I pause and then nod. “I guess. The past is the past. What happened then shouldn’t affect what happens in life now.”

“What happened with you two?”

I’m silent for a moment until I shoot the arrow, then look at him and smirk. “We were lovers in the past and it ended in heartbreak. Is that what you want to hear Lord Leo?” I tease, laying it on thick hoping he’ll just roll his eyes and walk away. 

He doesn’t do that though. He just looks at me. “Are you alright Niles?”

I close my eye and then shake my head. “It’s all in the past Lord Leo… Don’t you have that strategy meeting to get to with your siblings?”

“Niles-“

“Lord Xander hates it when you’re late.” I say and shoot another arrow, frowning. I barely hit the target. “I need to focus. Don’t worry, I’ll whisper sweet nothings to you later.”

He shakes his head and then walks away. It’s the only way to ever get him to leave. It was the only way to get Shura to leave back then too. I sigh and then raise my bow again to shoot another arrow. I have to clear my mind, but it’s racing with so much.

*~*

We had been traveling together for over a year and I had changed a lot. Shura not as much. He was still the same silent thief I had met in the bar the year earlier. He had become more protective for awhile, but eventually left me to my own devices for a lot of time. That was when I really started to discover the fun of an outlaw life.

We were staying in an inn not too far from one of the major Nohr cities. Shura had only given me one job for the day and I did it early. Now I sat in the main floor of the inn, some other outlaws there too. I was only focused on the gorgeous woman who sat beside me. Already I had one arm around her and she seemed interested enough. 

Shura walked inside and I glanced at him with a smirk. He walked over to me. “Hey Shura!” I said happily, the girl seeming to perk up. If I knew the best thief in Nohr then that just made me look more appealing. 

“Hey, did you get your job done?” He asked and I nodded.

“Of course, everything’s set for tomorrow.” I said and he began to walk away. “Wait come back! Come on Shura it’s not all business all the time. Come have some fun!”

He looked at me with a calculated look that I had become too familiar with, and then looked at the girl beside me. “Beat it, he’s too young for you. Only fourteen.”

My eyes widen as she stands up and glares at me before walking away. I can barely keep my jaw off the floor. “What the fuck? Fourteen? You know I’m sixteen!”

He smirked. “You told me to have fun, and that was fun.” He sat beside me and I glared at him. “Oh come on kid, that girl only wanted to get with you to try rob you in the morning. Girls that hang out in places like that are thieves just like us.”

That made me grin. “Doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun with them before they turn into the thief.” 

“There’s more to life than girls kid.”

“You’re right. There’s also boys.” I laughed and he just rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, there’s more to life than being a thief too.”

He nodded. “That’s true. There’s a lot more.”

“Like what?” I asked. “What keeps you going old man?”

He had stopped reacting to the nickname months ago. It was strange, we had been traveling together for years but I still barely knew anything about him. Sometimes he would tell me stories about the heists he had been involved in, the really famous ones that I had only heard from other thieves who would embellish the stories. Other than that he kept to himself, sometimes start to say something but then say never mind and just stay silent on the topic. But today wasn’t like all the other days.

“The land I came from was in Hoshido,” he said. “Kohga. I remember it fondly. It was small, but strong. My entire family was there. My father taught me everything I know, started teaching me young. It was great, happiest times of my life were there.” 

I stayed quiet and then his expression changed into a frown. “When I was thirteen, younger than you, Kohga was invaded. Everyone I knew was cut down in front of me, my village burned. My mother told me to run so I did, ran far away… I was one of the few to survive, everyone else was killed that night. I didn’t know why they did it, still don’t quite understand… Hoshido didn’t accept me, but Nohr did. So I lived as a street rat for a bit. But being a Kohga trained ninja had its perks. I was the best thief before I was twenty.”

I watched him as he talked about his past. The emotions were real, more real than I had ever seen from Shura. I didn’t know how to react though, if there was anything I could say. He looked at me and smiled lightly. “I’m going to rebuild Kohga one day. That’s why I keep stealing I guess. That’s why tomorrow is an important job. A lot of money on the line that’ll go a long way. You’re the best thief I know, need you focused.”

I nodded. “Right. Don’t even worry about it, everything will go off without a hitch.” I smiled and he actually smiled back.

*~*

I take in a deep breath and let the arrow go. It hits the stone wall instead of the target and breaks. Shura would scold me for being too tense, but right now I don’t care.

Why couldn’t things have stayed good with him? I let out a frustrated sigh and just shake my head, then prepare another arrow to shoot.


	5. Chapter 5

I barely see Shura at all for five days, and every passing day makes me more frustrated. 

Lord Leo told me he was just on a mission with Lady Corrin and he’ll be back soon, so I just keep my head down for the time. I keep training, keep myself busy. Odin and Leo have noticed a change judging on how much they’re asking me if I’m okay. 

“Niles, come on you can talk to me,” Leo said one day and I just sighed.

“It’s fine Lord Leo. Really.” I smiled and he seemed unconvinced, but I left to go on guard duty before he could say anything else.

I just need to talk to him.

The five days pass and Lady Corrin comes back with Shura and Silas. They head their separate ways but I follow Shura, stopping him before he can get to his tent. 

“Can we talk?” I ask and he raises an eyebrow.

“Sure thing kid, what’s up?”

“The last heist we did together. Do you remember it?”

He pauses and then nods. “Yeah, of course I do.”

I can’t find the words for what I want to say next. Over five days I have thought about what I’d say but now I can’t. I just keep thinking back to the mission, to everything that happened.

*~*

I could feel his arms around me as we ran. I didn’t know who warned the guards or why, all I knew is that someone did, and because of that I had an arrow in my chest and blood pouring out of my body.

I didn’t know where Shura took me but before I knew it he had laid me down onto a hard concrete floor. I tried to take in breaths and open my eyes. We weren’t alone anymore. There’s another man with us, our groups healer. I knew I must have fucked up badly. All I could think was that Shura would never let me live this down, if he let me keep traveling with him at all. 

I looked at Shura and he almost looked worried. He glared at the healer at the other side of the room. “Hurry up goddamnit he has an arrow in his chest!”

“I’m sorry,” I managed to croak out, finally getting the older thief to look down at me. I expected him to be as angry with me as he is with the healer, but his face softened and he gave a small smile.

“Hey Niles, don’t try talk okay?” He said. He rarely ever said my name. I was surprised he even knew it. “Just try and be still, we’ll get you healed and everything.”

“I messed up the mission…” I said and winced, feeling the pain from the arrow even stronger. Tears stung the back of my eyes but I kept telling myself not to cry. Not in front of Shura. 

“You didn’t mess up the mission kid,” he told me and looked down at me as the healer came back. “Sometimes things go wrong. That’s why I taught you the bow and arrow, remember?”

“I got hit…”

“Everyone gets hit sometimes. Once we’re through all this I’ll show you the arrow scars I got.”

I wasn’t sure why his voice sounded so shaky, I could barely keep my eyes open. Shura and the healer exchanged words I couldn’t hear.

“Niles.” I opened my eyes again to see Shura looking down at me. “This is going to hurt. A lot. Okay? I’m here for you just…. This is going to hurt a lot.”

I took in a sharp breath, feeling the pain worse and worse with every passing second. “Am I going to die Shura?”

“Kid don’t even talk like that.”

“I don’t want to die here,” I said.

I feel his hand clasp around mine. “Niles, you aren’t going to die here. I promise you that. Okay?” He asked and I nodded weakly. “Squeeze my hand if you need to. I’m right here Niles.”

I shut my eyes tight. When the healer pulled out the arrow I couldn’t help but scream in agony, never feeling so much pain. My hand remained tight in Shura’s, the only comfort I had before blacking out.

*~*

“It was shitty, but sometimes missions go wrong.” Shura’s voice snaps me back to reality and I look at him again. “Why are you bringing that up?”

I glance down at my hand, then back at him. Why can’t I say anything to him? When he wasn’t here I had a million words I wanted to say, that I needed to get out, but now I can’t form a single sentence. I just close my eye and then shake my head. 

“No reason,” I say. “Goodnight Shura.”

Before he can say anything else I walk away, taking in a long breath and shaking my head.


	6. Chapter 6

I hate having Shura around the castle. 

Every time I see him I feel a pit in my stomach that doesn’t go away. A nagging thought at the back of my mind to confront him but then I can’t gather up the courage to go do it. Hell, even young me had the balls to approach Shura, argue with him. For some reason it feels different. Every time I try to speak I think about the arrow through my chest, the immense pain I was in. Then my hand feels strange, as if it remembers the feeling of him holding it. His hand was bigger than mine, rougher too from the constant work from being a thief. In that moment it was the most I had ever connected with a person. Even through the pain I felt a bond forged that I thought would be in my life forever.

And then it wasn’t. 

Leo walks over to me during my watch mid afternoon, and I don’t even bother trying to avoid him. “Hello Niles.”

“Hello Lord Leo.” I say.

He sits down beside me and I look at the royal. Despite how we first met, he always treated me with respect. Yes, he rolls his eyes a lot, and generally gets frustrated with the things I say, but when it comes to actual work he listens to me, my opinions. 

“Niles…” he starts and then looks at me. “Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Shura?”

With those words I’m broken.

I tell him everything about how we met, how we traveled together for a long time. I tell him about how we bonded and the good times we have. When I say those parts he even smiles a little. Then I stop, and look out into the fields in front of the castle. I find the words to tell him about our last job. When I got shot, how he took care of me. Then I stop all together. Like I keep doing with Shura.

“What happened, Niles?” I look up at Leo when he speaks and sigh.

There’s no way to get out of this now.

*~*

“You can’t leave.”

I felt as pathetic as the poor girls we have met along our travels that romanticise outlaws. They truly think that they are different, that we will love them and stay with them, change our ways for them. They beg us to stay, to give them a chance. The thing those girls don’t realize is us leaving has nothing to do with them. They were just a pretty face in the crowd we distracted ourselves with. 

I was more of the same to him. Just a thief he could use. I expected him to change, that I was different. For a year, he abandoned ever thief he worked with, I kept telling myself I was different. He’d do it to them but not to me. Expecting an outlaw to stay is pointless though. Whether it be with a poor bar girl, or I guess a stupid young pickpocket.

“I have to.” Shura glanced at me. His eyes barely met mine before they looked at the bandage over my chest. My wound from the arrow had started to heal, but not enough for me to do any jobs. He shook his head and then grabbed his arrows. “I payed for you to stay in the inn for another week. By then you should be healed enough to make your own way.”

“Is this because I got shot?” I asked and he closed his eyes. I could tell he was trying to come up with a lie, so I just shook my head. “Save your bullshit for someone else.”

“Niles.”

“You know what the worst part is? You act like you’re better than they are. The rest of the thieves. Like you have some sort of code of honor. And then you just go abandon me like you abandoned all of them. Honor isn’t just coming and going whenever it pleases you. It’s loyalty, it’s actually giving a damn about people.”

“And what the fuck would you know about honor?” Shura snapped and looked at me. “You’re just a kid, a street rat. You grew up in nothing, surrounded by the filth we live in. Honor isn’t showing loyalty to murderers, thieves and rapists. Not even some kid who thinks the world owes him something because his parents died. The world is shit, Niles. Everyone in it is shit, and they don’t give a damn.”

The tears that I felt when I was shot by the arrow threatened to come again, but this time not out of pain, or the fear of dying. It’s out of anger. “Why the fuck did you save my life then?”

“Because I got you into that shit. Because I owed you at least that. It isn’t…” Shura shook his head. He slung his bow across his back. “It isn’t because I cared.”

Those words released me. I could feel the pain building up to my chest but it wasn’t from my wound. Hot tears stung my eyes. As soon as he left I exhaled sharply, my heart pounding. The pain wasn’t physical, nothing felt real but I knew it was. I had never felt a sensation like it and never felt it since either. 

I couldn’t do anything though. All I could do in that moment was feel the pain.

*~*

Leo shows no expression. It doesn’t mean he isn’t feeling it, the Crown Prince always looks lost in thought. But he still looks at me, absorbing what I tell him. 

“Why have you been so kind to him since he arrived?” Leo asks. “After what he said to you…”

“Because he was right, Lord Leo.” I break my gaze from him and look at the castle wall. “No one cares.”


End file.
